Keep it Simple

“With a few flowers in my garden, half a dozen pictures and some books, I live without envy.”Lope de Vega

My quest for simplicity started in childhood. As the severity of my parents hoarding increased, so did my desire for a less complicated life. Night was the most peaceful time for me then, much as it is now. As a child, it’s when the chaos seemed to subside, and the darkness hid what daylight showcased.

The complexity of my life was partly our family dynamic – there wasn’t a lot of happiness. Love yes, happiness no. After my grandmother’s death, there seemed to be more bitterness, depression and anxiety – the perfect triggers for hoarding. For me, it meant complete sensory overload. Everything I saw and heard was too much. It felt as though it filled every space of my being. I longed for simplicity. I fell in love with black clothing when I was younger because I found it soothing – and simple. I still wear it for the same reason.

As an adult, I love clean simple lines in furniture, modern but warm home decor and clothing, and most of all, I love uncomplicated relationships. I have a very low “drama” tolerance. Life is way too short. Love, honesty, mutual respect – all things that make life much easier. I love technology because used properly; it allows me to simplify my life. It keeps me organized, in touch with those closest to me, and it keeps music and books at my fingertips – things that calm me.

At home, I alphabetize the spices in my spice drawer, I organize my pantry in groups of like items, and I organize the clothes in my closest according to type and color. I may get teased about OCD tendencies, but it’s nice to know that I can find anything in seconds. From time to time I search for things to keep life simple, it’s how I came across sites like Marc and Angel Hack Life , Zen Habits, and Simple Mom.

I realized something funny over the years. Many people that write about simplifying life come from a childhood where things were simpler and then as they grew older, life became complicated and they returned to a much simpler lifestyle. My journey has been just the opposite, I started out in a complicated situation, and learned as I got older, that there had to be a better, simpler, way and I’m definitely not going back!

2 Comments

I so the same things D. My DVDs are organized by title and books my author and then title. My closet is organized by color and then type (same with my drawers). Anything less than that seems to chaotic for me and gets me anxious!